Dancing in the Dark
by Cecilija
Summary: At first, when young priest Dipper Pines encounters an odd man by the name of Bill Cipher by his church, he's not sure how to feel about him. And as he begins to uncover the stranger's secrets, he finds himself in a mess much greater than he had anticipated. Church AU.


_**Alright, I think I've read enough Gravity Falls fanfiction to get the gist of it.**_  
 _ **I hope.**_

 _ **This is set in the beginning of the 20th century. This is a Catholic Church AU, because, well, I'm Catholic, so this is the only religion I know about :') Alsooo, this cooould upset some very religious people, so yeah, I'm warning you now.**_

 _ **I think that's pretty much it for now x)**_

* * *

 _Chapter I_

The first time Dipper saw him, he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Dipper had just arrived at the small church, the sun had barely broken through the vast horizon, and while it was not odd at all that some villagers were already up - spring had just come around, and there was more than enough work for everyone, - the young priest didn't usually encounter anyone this early near the church. Moreover, he was certain the person was not from this area. His attire, composing from a long black with golden accents coat, sleek dark gloves, a rather strange top hat and an elegant cane in hands, was far too immaculate and luxurious to belong to a mere peasant or anything of the likes. Probably a rich landlord or something, Dipper thought as he made his way to front of the church. It was strange, though, usually he would be informed if some sort of influential person visited their humble village, unless said guest traveled alone and didn't seek any attention. That must have been the case, but what could be the reason for his visit, then?

Just then, Dipper noticed that the man was standing on the other side of the churchyard's fence not just anywhere, but right in front of the recently deceased pastor's grave. Upon a closer look, it seemed he was staring at the monument, deeply lost in thought. Perhaps he was a distant relative or a friend? Then again, Dipper didn't recall seeing this man at the pastor's funeral, he was certain such a figure would have stood out. Maybe there were some circumstances for his absence? Ah, Dipper should stop trying to over-analyze everything like usual, and jump to conclusions. He didn't know this man and probably had no business with this person, perhaps he was traveling and merely took a stop here. Yes, that was most likely it, Dipper almost imperceptibly shook his head and took out the keys to the church's doors. Instead of pondering on such meaningless matters, he should get to the sacristy and start preparing for the morning's Mass.

Nevertheless, curiosity got the better of him and the young priest cast a glance over his shoulder at the mysterious man. As if a cold wave washed over him as their eyes met; the person had been staring at him with such intensity it momentarily completely froze the other in place. Only now did Dipper got a closer look at the man's face; vibrant golden locks framed his slightly tanned face, a... rather strange black eye-patch covered his right eye, while the other portrayed an almost sickening color of yellow, which now it bored into Dipper's own brown ones. The priest had never seen such an odd hue. It was... strangely transfixing, unearthly, and it held such an emotion Dipper couldn't quite distinguish. A mix of curiosity, interest and... something else. And while he had to admit that the man was quite handsome, there was an odd vibe around him, almost unholy. For reasons he couldn't possibly understand, the mere fact that he was looking into the stranger's eye stirred his consciousness uneasily, as if he was committing a sin.

However, such a thing was preposterous. Dipper was being too paranoid again, a trait he wished he could fix, even if Mabel did always say it was part of his ''charm''. Just because someone seemed a tad strange, it didn't automatically mean they were demonic or something. And even so, as Dipper blinked a few times and managed to avert his gaze from the stranger, turning back to the task at hand, he could have sworn an ominous shadow flashed across the man's golden eye and just for a moment a smirk played on the corners of his lips. The young priest had to take a second to compose himself and not allow a shudder to creep down his spine. He had to get his thoughts under control. While he couldn't deny that the stranger's presence was mysterious, it didn't necessarily have to be sinister. All those vehement warnings and dull yet assertive sermons regarding the devil's work at the seminary certainly left an impact on Dipper, only adding up to his already far too great paranoia. He should perhaps start thinking more rationally already.

The slightly uneasy priest hoped he would soon find peace of mind, once he started his normal morning routine and spoke a few prayers. Maybe also a couple of extra ones, just to be sure.

And still, as he opened the church's doors and strolled inside the cool and calming hall, he couldn't shake off that odd feeling that the stranger was familiar to him.

Soon enough, Dipper realized that the mysterious man was not a traveler who only made a short stop at their village. After a few days had passed since their first encounter, the young priest began seeing him more frequently. Specifically during the time he exited the sacristy to head back to the church and start the morning's Mass. He found it very odd that the stranger was always present by the fence, either absentmindedly staring into the church or slowly pacing back and forth, but never crossing. Not once did he attend a Mass and hadn't spoken to Dipper either, or any of the townsfolk really. The priest was beginning to hear whispering among the villagers regarding the man's strange presence, but no one dared to approach him. They were all highly religious and Dipper could understand why they decided to keep their distance. No matter how many days passed, the mysterious blonde still appeared rather forbidding. Some even began speculating that maybe his appearance is a bad omen, and Dipper couldn't get rid of that troubling thought ever since. Naturally, he shared his worries with his sister, like he always do, and she, not surprisingly, waved dismissively at his qualms.

''If you worry so much, talk to him!'' she spoke during one of their dinners. ''He may turn out to be a very fun guy. Heck, who knows, you may even gain a friend for once.''

Dipper glared at her lightly for her teases, but nevertheless pondered on her idea. Perhaps she was right, perhaps all his doubts would disappear once he actually got to know that stranger and discover the reasons behind his visit. They may turn out to be completely innocent and understandable ones, and Dipper would once again learn he shouldn't be this paranoid over nothing. What bad could a little interaction do, anyway?

Approximately two weeks had passed since the young priest first saw the mystifying blonde and the perfect opportunity to approach the man arose. Dipper had been getting ready to do so all morning, since he was a bit socially awkward - to put it gently, at least - , and if he set his mind on something, there was no backing out. Nevertheless, he couldn't quite calm his wildly beating heart as he held the doorknob of the sacristy, feeling sweat welling up in his palms. Lightly shaking his head, Dipper heaved a soft sigh and exited the small room. There was no reason to worry.

As expected, there he was - as always, standing just by the fence, and this time once again staring at the pastor's monument with unexplainable curiosity, his uncovered eye seemingly boring through the stone. For a single beat a mystically dark look crossed his expression, but it was so brief that Dipper wrote it off as a play of light. Or his stupid mind again.

The priest lingered in one place a bit, observing the stranger in silence, feeling almost... tranquil. Today was a rather nice day, the morning sun's rays broke through the cirrus clouds, the gentle breeze tousled his dark hair, lightly touched the small flowers by the church's entrance, the spring's delicious air filled his lungs, various smells dazed the young vicar's mind, and for a moment he forgot why he was so anxious about that silent stranger. In this light he seemed so harmless, so serene, that Dipper for a second questioned his own paranoid mind.

''Did you know our deceased pastor?''

The blonde snapped his head to Dipper's direction as soon as those words left his lips. The man was met with curious brown eyes, which slightly narrowed once the stranger grinned at him, almost charmingly, but with a weirdly unsettling color. Dipper couldn't quite understand why he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine at that smile.

''Oh yes, you could say we were... acquaintances,'' the man all but chirped, albeit a bit too sharply for the young priest to be reassured. ''And I take it you're the new head around here, right?''

''I suppose that's how it works when you're the only one left,'' Dipper shrugged nonchalantly, yet kept his suspicious gaze.

''Easy to be first when there's no competition,'' the blonde laughed, momentarily flashing his perfectly white teeth. Something about his tone ticked the other off even more than his words. However, the young priest was taught not to get angry too easily, or mad in general. It was a dangerous emotion, a seed of it could grow into something far too malicious. Even if the man did indirectly insult the pastor, which annoyed Dipper a bit too much than he would have liked to admit. ''I reckon a lotta work must had fallen on your shoulders, though, eh?''

''Nothing I can't manage,'' the other answered casually, yet a tint of irritation still managed to break through his voice.

The stranger, seemingly, caught that the priest wasn't too amused with him.

''Ah, forgive me, forgive me, perhaps I was bit insensitive,'' he flashed the brunet an apologetic smile, and Dipper relaxed a bit. If he had looked a bit closer, maybe he would have seen the grin wasn't all that sincere. ''You must've been close? Shame he passed so early, really. Great man, that pastor, was, at least as far as I remember. Though I did always say his intellect was wasted at priesthood, could've reached real heights. But hey, I respected his devotion.''

At those words Dipper's expression softened completely. He, honestly speaking, always had similar thoughts, but never dared to question his authority figure. The only time he did, a lot of years back, he was shot down with a simple answer - ' This is where I belong'. Since then Dipper never expressed his thoughts to the pastor, only mused on them alone. It was oddly satisfying to hear he was not the only one with such ideas.

Dipper hummed lightly for a few moments, pondering on his next words, while the blonde merely observed him in curiosity, absentmindedly twisting that elegant cane in his hands. Truthfully speaking, he seemed strangely eager. Not that Dipper paid that any mind.

''Well, why don't you join us today? It's a celebration, after all, even if a small one,'' the young priest finally spoke as politely as he could manage, even cracked a small smile. ''Please, come in, in case you're in a hurry.''

The blonde immediately lit up, his eye glinting in the sunlight, and he beamed at the brunet.

''With pleasure,'' he tipped his top hat at Dipper, never losing that grin. ''If the priest himself invites me, I can't decline.''

That... was a weird reaction. Not what Dipper was expecting. And the way the word 'priest' rolled off the other's tongue unnerved him quite a bit.

''Yeah,'' he murmured a bit awkwardly, clearing his throat. A thought brewed in his mind and he fixated his eyes on the man once more. ''Can I have your name?''

The stranger appeared to muse on the question for a couple of beats, tilting his head to the side, before he nodded and that wicked smile once again graced his lips.

''Bill Cipher, at your service.''

That name rung a bell somewhere in the corner of Dipper's mind, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear the fog surrounding it, so in the end he decided to leave it be for now.

''Nice to meet you, I'm-''

''Dipper Pines, yes, I'm very much aware,'' the blonde cut him off with a sweet chuckle. Seeing as how the priest's suspicion rose, he waved a hand at him dismissively. ''You're quite popular around here, kid. Relatives with the deceased pastor, rumored to be the next one, maybe even go further than that... Yup, it would be strange if Ihadn't heard about you, Dipper Pines.''

The priest's doubts deflated a bit and he once again cleared his throat into his fist. He was completely unsure how he should feel about this new-comer, his opinion kept changing every few seconds. This 'Bill Cipher' was a true puzzle.

''Well, I hope I'll see you at the celebration today,'' he decided to end their conversation there.

The blonde's eye flickered for a moment and his grin shaped into a more teasing one.

''Oh you certainly will. Wouldn't miss it for the world!''

Really, Dipper had no idea what to think of this stranger.

But he was uncertain whether this night he'll be sleeping any more peacefully than the previous one.

* * *

 _ **Funny story, I'm actually reading this very long book about this young Catholic priest, because my school said so, and at first I wasn't too interested in it, because I wasn't all that curious about religion, but then one night I thought ''Yooo I could make this work for me AND be more interesting", and that's how I decided to write this, using the knowledge of that magnificent book (and yeah, it actually got interesting, damn)**_

 _ **Do let me know if you wanna hear more from me soon. While I do have a rather clear outline of this story, I also have a sh't ton of books to read and stuff to write and cosplays to make, so I gotta know my priorities. Yes, us author a lot of the time write for ourselves, but also a crap ton of time write because of the readers. So yeah.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this mess-...**_


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